Hello, hello! I would say “Happy Monday,” but I feel like the following is more appropriate:

…my thoughts exactly. Moving on.


In yesterday’s blog post, I wrote about a Rolling Stone magazine article I read this past weekend: “Confessions of an Ivy League Frat Boy: inside Dartmouth’s Hazing Abuses,” by Janet Reitman. Summarizing ex-Dartmouth student Andrew Lohse's journey from frat-boy to "passionate reformer," my takeaway from Reitman's article, unlike most, had little to do with the article's depiction of outrageous fraternity hazing; instead focusing on Lohse himself and the telling signs of his malevolent, fame-seeking, "wannabe" behavior. This is because, whereas I think it is of great importance that we, as a society that praises the ivy's and the kids who go there, hear about the disturbingly gruesome hazing experiences described in this article, I believe it is of even greater importance that we, as members of said society, learn how to take responsibility for ourselves and our lives--a lesson Lohse, like many, have yet to internalize. 

Nonetheless, as I said yesterday, rather than attack Lohse, let us learn from him and his actions ...or lack thereof. 

Readers,

I highly suggest you read (or at least skim) this Rolling Stone magazine article (found here) as a means of obtaining the most out of the post below. Furthermore, should you want to begin a discussion on the matter, and therefore wish to comment, I ask that you respect my opinion, stated below, as well as the thoughts, suggestions, and ideas of each others' opinions. Thanks.

- Lindsay
 
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If you were to ask me what magazines I read and/or like, Rolling Stone  magazine would not be one of them. Cosmopolitan? Yes. Time Magazine? Yes. Rolling Stone? Not so much. Nonetheless, when the BF emailed me the other day, the subject line reading “you MUST read this,” I quickly found myself being sucked into this culturally iconic web venue as I could not get over journalist Janet Reitman’s pure gift for writing an enjoyable, yet hard-hitting piece of journalism. Then again, Reitman’s topic of interest is far from boring: “Confessions of an Ivy League Frat Boy: Inside Dartmouth’s Hazing Abuses”…especially for someone such as myself.

For those of you who don’t know me personally, allow me to let you in on a little secret: I was never a sorority girl. I was also never a very school-spirited girl. What can I say, I’m just not wired that way. Nonetheless, and I say it all the time: “different strokes for different folks.” Furthermore, just because I’m not into the whole Greek life thing doesn’t mean that I don’t appreciate the secure college community that fraternities and sororities offer. I do. But like I said, back in the day, it just wasn’t for me…and now I know why.

Discussing Dartmouth’s “perpetuating [frat] culture” that ex-Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) brother Andrew Lohse describes as consisting of “’pervasive hazing, substance abuse and sexual assault’ as well as an ‘intoxicating nihilism’ that dominates campus social life,” Reitman’s article is far from censored. In fact, a vast majority of her article is spent describing the gruesome hazing experiences that pledges, such as Lohse himself, had to endure as a means of entrance into this world of frat-star superficiality: “[pledges must] swim in a kiddie pool of vomit, urine, fecal matter, semen and rotten food products; eat omelets made of vomit; chug cups of vinegar, which in one case caused a pledge to vomit blood; drink beer poured down fellow pledges’ ass cracks…among other abuses.” And while reading about such hazing, while disgusting, is far from eye-opening on its own, it is in fact Lohse’s path to outing Dartmouth Greek life that remains of central Quote I Wrote interest.

Described as “a highly self-aware young man who nonetheless came to Dartmouth filled with what he now sees as stupid ideas,” Andrew Lohse plays the role of protagonist, so to speak, in this article that outlines Lohse’s journey from a New Jersey high school overachiever; to college-age, drug-using party boy; to a now confused individual who remains part victim, part wannabe hero. Essentially attempting to “reform [Greek life from] the inside,” Lohse—who, at the time, was on a one-year suspension for snorting coke (which he believes to be an undeserved punishment filled with “hypocrisy”)—tells Reitman about how he met with Dartmouth’s chief of staff and associate dean for campus life, providing “the school officials with a ‘dossier of fraternity-hazing and substance-abuse-related information.’” Nonetheless, when said meeting failed to produce the type of action-filled results Lohse desired, Lohse attempted to take his role as a “reformer” to the next level by going to the media. Unfortunately for him, his failure to do so—because “[he] wasn’t ready” and “wanted to go back to Dartmouth and return to [his] fraternity and party”—proves less of an excuse and more of a divulging exposé; especially seeing how Lohse, who indeed returned to Dartmouth for his junior year, only withdrew from the “Big Green” and SAE when he was faced with a second arrest, this time for disorderly conduct.

Upon returning to his mother’s house, the place where he currently resides, Andrew Lohse began to configure this idea of writing an editorial that would essentially air all of SAE’s dirty laundry. Coming forward about the significant hazing practices that take place at fraternities, Lohse states that he feels “making these issues front and center is a very positive thing to do.” Nevertheless, during a recent at-home interview, Lohse revealed to Reitman that “[he] read a lot of Fitzgerald before [he went] to college,” and further admits that, while in college, he wanted to be “like that. [He wanted to be] a character.” Going on to say “it wasn’t really [him],” Lohse argues that he admired (and still admires) Fitzgerald and therefore “took the idea of creating [a false] identity really seriously.” Yet Lohse, who has only been away form Dartmouth for a few months now, claims that it was only when he realized he couldn’t be this "character" that he was able to move forward and become a changed man, as he so eloquently puts it. That said, I still find it difficult to believe that Lohse is sincere about his desires to enact hazing reform.

While I have no doubt that Lohse’s depiction of frat life is true, I can’t help but feel as if his reasoning for “coming forward” about Dartmouth’s Greek life was less about “taking a stand” and “being him,” and more about “wanting self-pity.” Now, do I think Lohse consciously knows that he was doing this for self-pity? No. I do, however, believe that Lohse thoroughly enjoys the fact that so many have come to his defense and verbalized their respective sympathies for him and his “situation.” Moreover, I think Lohse takes great pleasure in said public respondance seeing how, as one frat bro puts it, “Andrew was a polarizing figure form day one.” Nonetheless, it once again appears as if his “coming forward” on this issue of fraternity hazing is, to some degree, Lohse’s version of a retaliation tactic (i.e. you tried to f*ck with me, so now I'm going to bring you down with me). And while it seems as if Andrew Lohse will never be fully able to let go of his self-pitying mindset and accept responsibility for the wrongdoings of his past (and potential future), it does seem as if we--as outsiders looking in--can learn from Lohse's limitations. 

I mentioned earlier that Lohse admired F. Scott Fitzgerald, modeling himself after the characters of Fitzgerald's tales. Nonetheless, perhaps it was Fitzgerald himself who Lohse should have idolized and attempted to embody. Saying: "I hope you live a life you are proud of. If you find that you're not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again," Fitzgerald makes it clear that he himself believes in living an authentic life that we as individuals can be proud to call our own. 

That said, while there is clearly A LOT more to be said about this subject, I must tell you that you are going to have to wait until tomorrow to read the rest of this post. In the mean time, PLEASE share with me your thoughts on Lohse, Greek life, and/or Fitzgerald's quote. I am beyond excited to get a real discussion brewing here on The Quote I Wrote. Later, everyone!